410 



coasts. It was first described and figured as a British bird 

 by Montagu, early in the last century, previous to the year 

 1813. Specimens have been obtained from various points 

 along the south and east l coasts of England, and less 

 frequently from the opposite shores, including Wales. 

 Occurrences probably take place every autumn and winter, 

 but the numbers fluctuate in a marked degree. Thus in 

 the winters of 1866, 1868, 1869-70, several birds were taken 

 from Norfolk and the adjoining maritime counties. 2 



The east side of Scotland is more often frequented than 

 the west, but in the vicinity of the Solway Firth this Gull 

 is not of rare occurrence (Macpherson, 'Zoologist,' 1901, 

 p. 285). The Western and Northern groups of Islands are 

 visited at irregular intervals. 



This species is a very uncommon visitor to Ireland, 

 occurring chiefly in autumn and winter. Mr. Ussher cites 

 ten records : the earliest is that of a bird shot on the 

 Shannon between King's Co. and Galway, on August 5th, 

 1840 (Thompson). 



On December 6th, 1876, Cox observed one at the mouth 

 of the River Liffey, Dublin ; it was feeding in company 

 with other Gulls (' Zoologist,' 1879, p. 486). This appears 

 to be the latest specimen recorded. 



Examples have been taken also from Strangford Lough, 

 Belfast Bay, and Lough Foyle ('Birds of Ireland'). 



Flight. In its flight the Little Gull rather resembles 

 a Common or an Arctic Tern. 



Voice. The note is sharp and rather harsh ; it may be 

 syllabled krek, krek, kree* 



Food. Fish constitute the main diet ; aquatic insects 

 are also eaten. 



Nest. The nest is placed near water, on swampy 

 clumps, and is composed of grasses and other vegetable 

 matter. 



The eggs, three, more rarely four in number, are 

 greenish-brown, finely flecked and blotched with umber. 



1 Among early records may be mentioned one shot at the mouth of 

 the Tyne in September, 1835 (Bewick). 



2 Over sixty were killed in Norfolk in 1870 (February), after a heavy 

 gale (Norf. and Nor. Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. iv, p. 410 ; A. Patterson, 

 ' Zoologist,' 1901, p. 294-95). A specimen was obtained on the Thames 

 at the end of December, 1899, a rather unusual time of year (F. W. 

 Frohawk, ' Zoologist,' 1900, p. 83). 



